Converting a paper hardcopy document into a digital image may be desirable due to the ease with which it can be transmitted and processed by a computer system. For example, images of documents can be scanned and transmitted via e-mail or shared on the Internet using a variety of known protocols such as HTTP or FTP. Obtaining a digital image of a document may also be advantageous so that it can be manipulated or edited on a computer system. Electronic transmissions of digital images are frequently preferred over traditional postal methods due to speed of delivery and the ever increasing number of computer systems and our reliance thereon.
The U.S. Congress recognized the advantages of using digital versions of checks over paper versions thereof by passing the Check 21 Act enacted in 2003. The Check 21 Act allows a financial institution to create a digital version of a processed check and make it accessible online to the payer of the check, thereby eliminating the need for further handling or return of the paper check. This computerized process greatly reduces the time and costs associated with the processing of paper checks, and hence enhances the efficiency of our banking system. It also provides an easy and convenient alternative for bank customers to monitor and manage banking related documents and activities. Online checking offered by many financial institutions such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo allows customers to conveniently view digital images of their cashed checks.
However digital images of documents may often contain personal or sensitive information that a customer or a user may wish to conceal. The term “sensitive information” may include anything designated by a party that should be secured for viewing online such as a customer's name, address or telephone number in conjunction with the customer's social security number, driver's license, or account number (FDIC FIL-27 2005).
At the same time, images must also reveal or contain sufficient information that is legible or usable to the user. For example, banks and other kinds of financial institutions allow a user to access an online bank account and view a digital image of a processed check or financial document. But sensitive information such as the customer's name, bank account number, routing number, address, telephone number, signature and other personal information, may appear on a computer screen while viewing a digital version of the check. The security of such personalized or sensitive information is compromised when it is displayed. The customer or user may therefore wish to hide or secure such personalized information from computer hackers, identity thieves, or even from viewers with no ill intentions.
A variety of graphics editing programs are available today such as Adobe Photoshop that allows a digital image to be edited or altered manually. Original versions of an image may be created and saved as a new image. When using such software programs, a user often manually edits the personalized or sensitive content of the individual digital image with an editing tool such as a blur tool included with the software. Meanwhile, banks and other financial institutions usually process large quantities of checks and/or documents containing personalized or sensitive information. A financial institution may have numerous customers, each with an online bank account on which they can view digital versions of a processed or cashed check. The digital image may be conveniently displayed to a customer while at the same time the financial institution can avoid having to mail or return the processed check to the customer. The ability to efficiently process a large number of checks while protecting personal information contained therein presents significant challenges in online security and the prevention of fraud or theft.
A need therefore exists to secure and protect personalized or sensitive information within digital images of documents. It would be further advantageous to protect available information online without having to manually and singularly edit or alter the contents of the digital images.